Special Education Program Update - Fall, 2012

Linda Mason, associate professor of special education, has co-authored a new text, Building Comprehension in Adolescents: Powerful Strategies for Improving Reading and Writing in Content Areas. Written with colleagues Robert Reid and Jessica Hagaman, the new text  "helps educators improve students' reading and writing through Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), an evidence-based instructional approach that shows students how to apply proven strategies independently to boost their school success."

David Lee, associate professor of special education, is the Academic Program Director for Penn State's BACB approved program in Applied Behavior Analysis. Working with other Penn State faculty, he is coordinating the development of new instructional content and enhanced delivery methods for the program's national and international audience.

This 18-credit, five-course sequence is designed for people who seek advanced knowledge in the field of applied behavior analysis. The program consists of four online courses plus a fifth course which is a face-to-face, weeklong seminar held every August at Penn State University Park in conjunction with the National Autism Conference.

In response to a growing national demand for special education teachers, Penn State is offering scholarships up to $12,500 for 15 months of study in early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE). Kathleen McKinnon, assistant professor of special education, is the director of the U.S. Department of Education funded training grant.

Paul J. Riccomini, Penn State, associate professor of special education, and Bradley S. Witzel, faculty member at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., are co-authors of two newly released books that address techniques of mathematics instruction. "Response to Intervention in Math” (Corwin Press) offers guidelines for improving learning for all students, especially those who have learning disabilities and/or are struggling with mathematics content. Witzel and Riccomini’s second book is titled “Solving Equations: An Algebraic Intervention” (Allyn & Bacon). This textbook provides teachers and preservice teachers with information to employ the concrete-to-representational-to-abstract (CRA) sequence of instruction with forms of algebraic equations.

Charles Hughes, Penn State professor of special education, and Anita L. Archer, a nationally recognized educational consultant, are co-authors of a new book titled Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching (Guilford Publishers). A supporting website provides excerpts from the book and supporting videos

The demand for qualified special education faculty already exceeds supply, and the demand for qualified special education faculty will continue to grow in the 21st century. Professor Kathy Ruhl and associate professor David Lee are the Project Co-Directors for PPREP, a federally funded program that provides financial and academic support to full-time doctoral students in Special Education at Penn State.

Paul Morgan, associate professor of special education, has received the 2012 Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Division for Research of the Council for Exceptional Children. This award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding scientific contributions in basic and/or applied research in special education within the first 10 years after receiving the doctoral degree. The award, co-sponsored by the Donald D. Hammill Foundation, includes $1,000 to be presented at the DR reception at the 2012 CEC Annual Convention and an invited presentation at the CEC convention the following year.

David McNaughton (professor, special education) will serve as a co-editor for the journal Augmentative and Alternative Communication from 2012-2014. The journal publishes peer-reviewed research on the use of alternative communication techniques for children and adults with severe disabilities.